Fancy a bit o' crumpet?

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Homemade crumpets have become a new Sunday-morning ritual in our
home. They're not much more difficult than pancakes and everyone
loves their dense, chewy texture.

Our guests have reacted with surprise - "I didn't know you could
make crumpets" - but have all happily devoured the results.

And after spending a couple of months experimenting, I'm
hooked.

There's something rustic and homely about preparing crumpets.
It's a project for a morning when you have a little more time.

Arise early, while the household slumbers. Prepare the yeast
mixture and leave it to prove. Then watch the sun rise, go for a
walk or a jog, get to the newspaper first - or go back to bed.

Make it a family project. Children love to help mix the batter
and oil the crumpet rings. Then, of course, it is a matter of
finding something to amuse them while the yeast does its work.

I have discovered many different recipes and variations - most
with the help of a friend's impressive collection of baking
books.

They are all quite different and although most use yeast as the
raising agent some use baking soda or baking powder.

Unsurprisingly, those that included egg or milk were heavier.
Sourdough crumpets are something else again - dense, flavoursome
and well worth the extra time.

Fresh yeast produces the lightest, fluffiest crumpets, slightly
more so than dried but its flavour can be overpowering if it is not
weighed accurately.

I had some difficulty buying fresh yeast. Most good market
delicatessens sell it but in some places I might as well have been
asking for an illicit substance.

Suburban delicatessens are not interested and most bakeries,
both independent and large chains, either wouldn't sell it or said
they didn't use it. Dried yeast can be substituted in most recipes
but you need to use less of it (approximately half) than fresh.

We've made our crumpets on the stove top, in the oven and on
barbecues; at home and on camping trips.

Crumpet rings are an essential tool. They need to be about 80mm
in diameter and at least 30mm high.

At first, I stacked two egg rings on top of each other. The size
was fine, if a little small, but prising the rings off the cooked
crumpets was tricky. You can buy crumpet rings in kitchenware shops
but they are expensive - about $13 for a single aluminium ring -
and you need at least six.

An alternative is to cut the ends out of 210 gram tins, such as
those used for tuna or salmon, and smooth away the rough edges with
a metal file. It's fiddly but they are a good size and work quite
well.

My brother, an expert with stainless steel, made me six
fantastic rings - about 100mm in diameter and 40mm deep. So the
crumpets we make are rather large and take a little longer to
cook.

Most recipes call for crumpets to be cooked on the stovetop.
Grease the rings thoroughly first and pour, or spoon, the batter in
carefully. Don't overfill the rings, as the crumpets will rise. The
trick is to cook them slowly over a low heat and resist the urge to
fiddle until they are almost cooked.

When they look quite dry on top, run a knife around the edge of
the rings and lift them off. Then, gently flip the crumpets and
lightly brown the top for a few minutes.

I liked the idea of oven-baked crumpets, which did not require
turning, but the recipe I tried produced a rather dense,
muffin-like crumpet lacking the doughy chewiness that, to me, makes
the ideal crumpet. But I intend to try other recipes in the
oven.

I discovered one of my favourite recipes, for a simple
white-flour crumpet, while reviewing Barry Vera's The Home Cook.
Vera's recipe is failsafe and (although I have become quite
proficient at making crumpets) it is the one I return to most
often. I have used it for flour substitution - rice flour, spelt
flour, wholemeal flour - mostly with good results.

Don't expect to create anything like the supermarket crumpet.
Homemade crumpets are heavier, tastier and have far more
texture.

Serve them warm with stewed fruits, homemade jam, yoghurt, honey
or maple syrup. Unused crumpets can be toasted, grilled or
re-heated in the oven the next day.

Homemade crumpets

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

- Mix the yeast with a few tablespoons of the warm water and
stir it around until it dissolves. Leave the yeast for about 5
minutes.

- Put the salt in a bowl and sift in the flour. Whisk
about two-thirds of the remaining water into the flour then add the
yeast. The mixture should be thick but pour quite easily - add more
water if necessary. Cover and leave in a warm place until the
mixture doubles.

- Heat a non-stick frying pan gently. Use crumpet rings
(although pastry cutters will do) and grease each lightly with
butter. Melt a little butter in the pan and swirl it around evenly.
Put the rings in the pan and pour in enough batter to fill each one
about half-full (about 1cm high). Cook slowly on a low heat for 3-4
minutes, or until small holes appear and the tops of the crumpets
start to dry. The base of the crumpets should be a lovely golden
brown.

- Lift off the rings, turn the crumpets over and cook for
another minute. The crumpets are now ready. Butter lightly and
serve.